All Nintendo Switch Online N64 games rated

This puzzle is essentially a 64-bit remake of the original Dr. Mario and has never been released in Europe or Japan (although it appeared in the Nintendo Puzzle Collection on GameCube alongside Panel de Pon and Yoshi's Cookie). Dr. Mario 64 is Dr. Mario, but cuter than he has ever been; a very solid puzzle with little to dislike.

15. WinBack: Covert Operations (N64)

We don't know about you, but games like Operation: WinBack (as it was known in Europe and Australia) and Konami's Hybrid Heaven occupied a level B on our "to get" lists back in the day - they looked interesting, but they were at the bottom of the list behind the first- party buys and many of us simply never managed to reach them once the 64-bit generation came to an end.

While Koei's third-person shooter wouldn't have entered the annals of covert operations games as a Environment, its cover system looked fresh in 1999, and the chance to take a look at the game on Switch and place it in its historical context is much appreciated.

Coming after the incredible (and incredibly beautiful) Yoshi's Island on SNES, it's no surprise that Yoshi's Story has hit some people the wrong way with its accessible, storybook-like approach and sweetness. It's certainly not the strongest or most complex 2D platformer you've ever played, but it's full of the Yoshi series brand appeal and we'd say it's worthy of a re-evaluation if you've dismissed it in the past.

The N64 was not blessed with an abundance of side-on platforming, but armed with the knowledge that this it is not a 64-bit Yoshi's Island, this is a great little game starring everyone's favorite fruit-eating dino.

13. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)

In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, HAL Laboratory has managed to keep the main structure that many knew and loved from the Kirby series, polishing it with a glossy layer of polygonal paint for the new generation of consoles.

Kirby's 64-bit foray into the third dimension stands out as one of the more unique voices in the series, coming out a little fresh compared to the many, many Kirby 2D platformer and enjoyable to play to date.

12. Pokémon Snap (N64)

The whole concept of catching Pokémon and making them fight each other doesn't lead to thinking about it too deeply, but the idea of ​​going on a safari and shooting creatures would never be washed away. Switch a gun for a camera, though, and you've got yourself a fun little rail shooter full of mon.

Pokémon Snap may have only had 63 Pocket Monsters available, but the outpouring of love shown for the original game when the long-awaited sequel arrived on Switch in 2021 is testament to its appeal. The act of hunting Pokémon probably wouldn't have improved until years later, when Niantic caught the world's attention with Pokémon GO.

11. Mario Golf (N64)

Camelot has taken Mario and his golf buddies on 3D fairways in this excellent entry to its sports games catalog. This game is also linked to the superlative Mario Golf for Game Boy Color. They are very different games and the portable version is probably even better thanks to its brilliant RPG elements, but together they form an unbeatable pair.

When we're disappointed that later games like Mario Golf: Super Rush don't match the quality of previous titles, it's Mario Golf that we remember with a distant, melancholy look in our eyes.

10. Mario Tennis (N64)

The first in Mario Tennis series (second, if you count  Mario Tennis for the Virtual Boy) was one of the doubles team winners in the sports department of the Mushroom Kingdom of Camelot - the studio also released the brilliant Mario Golf for N64, as well as Game Boy Color versions of each game that connected to their home console cousins ​​via Transfer Pak.

Mario has played a lot of tennis over the years, but this remains one of his best performances on the court.

9. Sin and Punishment (N64)

Gamers in the West wouldn't be able to get their hands on Treasure's fast-paced N64 rail shooter (not easily, meaning there was always the option to import) until Wii U Virtual Console arrived.

In the original version it quickly became a cult classic thanks to its developer's legacy and its Japan-only status, and although it's probably not worth importing a Japanese console to enjoy this game on its own, and its sequel Sin and Punishment: Star Successor for Wii undoubtedly improves on that in every way, this is still a very good shooter from a very good developer.

Cracking box art too.

8. F-Zero X (N64)

Forum wars continue to wage on whether F-Zero X or its successor on GameCube is the superior quality futuristic racer. Both are essential, of course. The 64-bit voice is metal: pure metal, simple, strident guitar, all-out. EAD has eliminated extraneous details to achieve the smoothest, most blistering and precise racing experience. At this speed, on these dizzying tracks, even the the smallest the prod on the slim analog stick matters, and the original N64 pad offers the ultimate precision for the micro adjustments that make the difference between gracefully sweeping through a corner with not even a pixel to spare ... or grabbing the corner and bouncing between barriers for an explosive and humiliating retreat.

How much more metal could this get? Nobody. No more metal. Flaming skulls and chrome motorcycles would actually reduce the metal content of this game.

7. Mario Kart 64 (N64)

While the characters may not have been truly 3D (rather they were detailed Donkey Kong Country-style Sprites created from 3D renderings), Mario Kart 64's huge undulating circuits showed the hardware and added inclinations, objects and obstacles, as well as a multiplayer mode for four players. This is the game that Toad's Turnpike gave us.

Each iteration of the Mario Kart series adds something new, but following Super Mario Kart's flat circuits, there has probably been nothing rather like that first leap in 3D. Like every entry in the series, add three friends and you'll have an epic moment in no time.

6. Paper Mario (N64)

Two decades later and Paper Mario may not look as sharp as it once did, but it holds up very well where it counts and clashes with The Thousand-Year Door for Best Paper Mario Game title.

The original for N64 does very well in facilitating Mario fans in a new style of adventure by providing depth for RPG players that you may not expect from the super-thin premise. With a great supporting cast and Nintendo brand charm, the original is among the best. Being able to play it on Switch is great news for anyone who has gotten lost, but still enjoys the newer and less vital rumors of the Paper Mario series.

5. Star Fox 64 (N64)

Known as Wars of Lylat in Europe, Star Fox 64 it was originally contained in a huge box containing a Rumble Pak and was the introduction of many players to force feedback on a console. It paired beautifully with the cinematic battles and daring of Fox McCloud and the gang's dog fights in this rail shooter.

È more an excellent game, and some may be tempted to say that the series peaked on the Nintendo 64. There is definitely a discussion going on there, and Star Fox 64 presents a very strong case for itself.

4. Super Mario 64 (N64)

The 3D platformer who defined what that label meant is as remarkable as Shigeru Miyamoto and his team got it right with the first swing of the bat.

It's available on Switch if you've gotten a limited-time copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars or as part of a Nintendo Switch Online membership since October, and we could go on and on about its genre birth mechanics and infinity. of small details that make Super Mario 64 a joy to ignite all these years later.

But you know all this. Do yourself a favor and blow a couple dozen stars next time you're thinking about what to play. It still feels virtually as good as the first time.

3. Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Rareware has launched several platformers on the Nintendo 64, each with their own pros and cons, but the Twycross team probably never got over the bear and bird debut. There is something about the precise platform and fairytale formula of Banjo-Kazooie which led to the quintessence of the 3D collection. It is large, but not sprawling; sweet, but not cloying; challenging, but never unfair (okay, a couple of those Rusty Bucket Bay jiggies walk a fine line). From wandering grublins to the hilarious transformations of Mumbo Jumbo, his colorful characters and various worlds are crisscrossed with humor, adorable animations, rigorous controls and a "damn" soundtrack that nails the spirit of a cheeky storybook adventure. perfectly.

Mario 64 may have an edge when it comes to prestige, invention and influence - this is the 3D platformer you vote with your head - but Banjo steals hearts. An absolutely brilliant game.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

Known colloquially around here as Marmite of Majora, the three-day cycle added constant pressure that turned many players off. However, that cycle is also the key to the one way the mask of Majora focuses on its cast of mysterious characters and plunges the adventure into melancholy and madness.

In fact, “adventure” isn't quite the right world for this Zelda game. It's more of a Lynchian dream landscape in cartridge form, and one that's not for everyone. The excellent 3DS remake is probably the best way to play these days thanks to a few handy additions to manage your limited time, but the clockwork land of Termina offers something truly unique to the Zelda series wherever you play.

Oh, and we don't really call it Majora's Marmite.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

What is there that hasn't already been said about this? A seminal video game, Ocarina of Time brought The Legend of Zelda into the third dimension with the same success with which the plumber made the leap in Super Mario 64. However, while Nintendo could insert any playground-style idea into Mario's launch game, Ocarina had to tell a story and evoke a coherent mood.

Going back these days, the frame rates and bulky menus might surprise you, and Hyrule Field looks decidedly smaller (more like a field, in fact) than the vast Hyrule realm featured in Breath of the wild, but the pure magic of the game still shines through any aging system. This set the pattern not only for every subsequent Zelda title, but also for most of the action adventure games of the past two decades; no wonder he is so revered.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D on 3DS is probably the best way to play today, but there are things that the excellent remake of Grezzo has failed to pick up. Whether it's the Rumble Pak-powered Stone of Agony or the 64-bit fog looming over Lake Hylia in the early hours, the original N64 still has that special something.